Cenicaña offers the service of leaf tissue analysis for fertilization recommendations

Foliar tissue analysis is a complementary method of soil analysis for fertilization recommendations in sugarcane crops.

Samples for analysis should be taken directly by the grower, who must send them in the shortest possible time to the Chemistry Laboratory located in the Experimental Station of Cenicaña. Via Cali-Florida km 26. San Antonio de los Caballeros, Florida, Valle del Cauca. Tel. (602) 5246611

How to take foliar tissue samples?

Sampling of leaves should be carried out on crops with ages of 3.0 months, 4.5 or 6.0 months, preferably before 9 am.

1. To enter the field it is recommended to use one of the two ways indicated in figure 1.
2. In a kind or plank no larger than 10 hectares, select 25 leaves that correspond to the first one with a visible neck, also known as a TVD sheet (Figure 2).
3. Once the 25 sheets have been collected, remove the upper and lower thirds from each one, leaving only the middle third, approximately 40 cm, for shipment (Figure 3). Immediately remove the central vein from each sample, which is easily detached if it starts to tear from the bottom up.
4. Make up a package with the leaf blades and tie them at the ends. Mark a label with the information required by the laboratory.

How are samples received in the laboratory?

To use the foliar analysis service at the Cenicaña Chemistry laboratory, the user must deliver:

• Samples of foliar tissue.
• The Request Form for Soil and Leaf Tissue Analysis Services completed to:
  - External customer: Download here 
  - Internal customer: Cenicaña staff only
  (Fill in the two tabs of the downloaded file: Request and Sample List)
• Copy of the consignment or payment receipt (Bancolombia Savings Account No. 3068-7171-376)
• Copy of the updated Single Tax Registry (RUT) certificate.

Note: The Cenicaña Chemistry laboratory will only receive the samples that are delivered with the form completely filled out.

Foliar tissue samples are received in the Chemistry laboratory located in the experimental station of Cenicaña, from Monday to Friday, from 7:30 am to 12:00 m and from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm.

Service value by type of analysis

Major elements:
Includes the elements nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg)
Cost for major elements: $55.000
Cost per item: $13.000

Minor elements:
It includes the elements iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn) and boron (B).
Cost for minor items: $72.400
Cost per item: $15.900

Complete analisis: $127.500
It includes major elements plus minor elements.

Additional analysis:
Sulfur (S): $13.000

All prices are valid as of February 1, 2025. Estimated time for delivery of results: fifteen (15) business days from receipt of samples.

Methodologies for tissue analysis

• Determination of major elements
  Nitrogen: Kjeldahl method.
  Phosphorus: Colorimetric method.
  Calcium, Magnesium and Potassium: Atomic absorption spectroscopy method.

• Determination of minor elements
  Iron, Copper, Manganese and Zinc: Atomic absorption spectroscopy method (nitric-perchloric mixture).

• Sulfur Determination
  Turbimetric method

• Boron Determination
  Colorimetric method (from Azomethina-H).